Noire eventually agreed. Although he didn't forgive them for being negligent, he can't blame them either.
They were simply following orders.
However, after obtaining his approval, Kirin felt too embarrassed to show her face as it was a complete mess at the moment. In a sense, kowtowing like this is aiding her to conceal the unsightly complexion written all over her visage.
Seemingly aware of this, Noire took the initiative to stand up and leave the room, the faster he got the resources the better.
Listening to the commotion around, Kirin was now aware that Noire doesn't plan to embarrass her any further and she silently thanked him in her heart.
However, who knew the moment Noire opened his door and placed one foot outside, an uneasy spiritual sense immediately enveloped him. Furthermore, not ten breaths after Noire noticed this spiritual sense, Noire was shocked speechless.
Watching the owner of this sense, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. On one hand, he expected such a scene and guessed that Yinfer would come to find him as soon as possible.
But...
He didn't think she would come around the corner clad in a silver-white palace dress underneath the robes he lent to her back then.
"... Why are you still wearing that?" Noire asked after a moment of silence.
Yinfer stared blankly at the kowtowing Kirin inside Noire's room before looking back at Noire.
Her expression was like someone who hasn't done anything contrary to common sense at all, then it was the expression of a confused maiden before she replied.
"Why can't I? I kept it clean and tidy, there should be no problem with me wearing it."
"..."
Noire sighed inwardly. In fact, the only memories Yinfer obtained were those that highlighted her Ancestor's interactions with the humans during crucial moments, and other than that; she's a legitimate newborn.
This is the first time in his life that he had to deal with a woman who had the wisdom of an ancestor but the mentality of a teenager.
Seeing Noire's complicated expression, Yinfer felt nervous inside her heart, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she switched the subject towards Kirin and asked.
"Why is there a Phoenix Maiden on your floor? Did she disturb your rest?" Although faintly, Yinfer's tone of the speech carried a fit of well-hidden anger and dissatisfaction.
Noire only shook his head lightly to that and said, "Not exactly, she's an old acquaintance of mine who helped me a few points back when I first arrived here, now I'm going to repay her kindness by helping her human friend."
Since he had nothing to hide, Noire gave a brief rundown over the situation. In any case, he made it so the narration implied it was an equal exchange of favors. Like this, Yinfer would give him some face and not pressure Kirin once he left.
Kirin also knew he put it that way to help her, he probably noticed the anxiousness in her aura the moment Yinfer arrived, thus leading him to help in a way.
Kirin could only lament on being useless and taking the previous Queen's prestige for granted. If she had Feng'er (Qinxu) be more diligent in practice, she wouldn't bring herself to the point of kissing the concrete in such a manner.
Yinfer creased her eyebrows to contemplate. From what she has gathered from investigations, the previous Queen had some sort of a plot against Noire, and it eventually escalated to having three corpses laid inside the starry illusion chamber, two of which are ordinary humans.
Kirin was constantly avoiding Yinfer so she had no way of knowing about the investigation that went down, and Noire was in secluded retreat all along so he had no idea either. Thus, both parties were basically keeping their true means from one another.
With a sigh, Yinfer no longer chased the matter, she already could guess what type of 'help' Noire is going to provide for that human.
"Okay," Yinfer nodded lightly and said, "You must be hungry, I had them prepare a potent meal with spiritual energy after I learned about your current practice. Should we head to the courtyard?"
After pondering for a moment, Noire nodded.
In fact, he doesn't feel starvation with his body constantly refining Qi Essence to supplement his resilience. But, spiritual food that is nourished by the power of heaven and earth is very helpful for his cultivation, even if by a little margin.
If he is going to feast, might as well feast on meals that have no impurities and maintain a stable foundation for future breakthroughs.
....
The weather was still chilly outside the palace, but not to the degree where it could bother people of their levels.
There was a long table filled with all sorts of spiritual fruits and house-made meals, these dishes were cooked following recipes that Qinxu left behind in the palace. She was the only human, so she naturally had learned how to cook her own meals, and some Maidens who were curious about cooking naturally learned from her.
Seeing these warm dishes, feeling the richness of their energy, inhaling their fragrance, Kirin struggled to not have another depressing episode.
Noticing her expression, Noire shook his head and said, "You can go pick her up and bring her here, I plan on leaving after the meal anyway, the fewer detours I make the better."
Kirin felt her mood alleviate, she bowed towards Noire in gratitude, said her thanks, and then departed after showing her respect to Yinfer who was seated next to Noire.
Yinfer looked at Noire with an expression that demanded an explanation childishly.
Knowing he can't keep her in the dark lest she did something crazy, Noire answered honestly.
"I'm departing towards the Core Continent," Noire spat out the information as if it was something casual before he brought the warm chunk of Eight Eyes Crab meat to try a bite.
After receiving such an answer, Yinfer's flames erupted from her small palm, instantly combusting the spiritual fruit she was holding.
In the blink of an eye, not even the ashes of the fruit remained and the atmosphere turned solemn, except for Noire who ate peacefully.
"Why are you going there? You'll only be enslaved for your blood essence!" Yinfer lost her calm.
Her indifferent eyes seemed to bud a mysterious emotion.
"Hahaha!"
Noire laughed lightly at her remarks and said, "If you think that toy of a crown can suppress my bloodline, you don't know how wide heaven is nor how deep is earth! In fact, they won't even be able to discern the fact I have a monster bloodline."
Noire shook his head before grabbing a clean tissue to clean his mouth, he laughed so suddenly he accidentally spilled some soup.
"As for you, with my bloodline essence tempering your purity, that crown will not affect you either," Noire responded with a grin.
The Maidens around the courtyard couldn't understand the context of the conversation, only Eliza and Kirin had access to such information.
Hearing Noire, Yinfer was a little bit doubtful.
The memories declare that the bloodline arrived from a higher plane, does this mean that Noire is also from that plane?
But if so, why is his situation so bizarre and how come he's all the way here instead of the Core Continent?
"If you're that confident, then I'm coming with you."
This time, Noire didn't spill his soup, he more or so choked directly and almost spat the entire load at Yinfer's face.
"Yin'er?! What are you talking about? Of course not! I'm not going to seek vengeance or anything, I definitely can't bring you along!"